Readings for today: Isaiah 48-49, 1 Thessalonians 1
What did you expect when you first came to faith in Jesus Christ? Some expect all their problems to go away. Some expect all their suffering will end. Some have no expectations that anything will change other than their eternal destiny. Some expect to see miracles of healing and provision in their life. Some expect to receive a new circle of friendships. Some expect to live with an intimate sense of God’s abiding presence. Others expect the church to become their family. What are your expectations? Have they been met? Have they been fulfilled? If you’re like most Christians, I expect you’ve been disappointed along the way or felt let down at times in your journey of faith.
One of the real problems in the American church is we expect so little. We expect so little from God. We expect God to bless all our plans. We expect God to sprinkle fairy dust on all our problems. We expect God to indulge our sin. We expect God to be “on-call” when we have an emergency. But God is much greater than we can ever imagine. He is far wiser and far more powerful and far more loving that we can possibly fathom. Just think what would happen if God said “yes” to all our prayers? Wouldn’t our lives turn into an absolute disaster? Haven’t you ever prayed for something only to find out later it wouldn’t have been good for you? Thankfully, God is a good Father. He knows what’s best for us. We can trust Him.
We expect so little from the church. We expect the church to be a safe place for us but we’re unwilling to help make it safe for others. We expect the church to meet our needs but rarely raise a hand to help out. We expect the church to produce programming that makes us or our children feel good but then jump ship the moment another church down provides something more attractive or exciting. We expect the church to be family but we are not willing to make the sacrifices necessary in our own lives to build the deep relationships required. Deep down, we all know what’s required. We know becoming a family requires something from each and every member. The church will only be as strong as the shared commitment and sacrifice of the people who call her home.
And that brings me to my last point this morning, we expect so little from ourselves. We do not humble ourselves before God and seek to follow His ways. We do not plant ourselves deep in His Word and in prayer. We do not pursue holiness and righteousness. We do not offer forgiveness and grace nor are we willing to do the hard work of reconciliation with those we’ve wounded or who’ve wounded us. Admittedly, these are broad stereotypes. I recognize there are many who do all these things and more but in my twenty plus years of pastoral experience they are more the exception rather than the rule. It is any wonder then that the church in America experiences so little of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit?
Listen to how Paul describes the early believers in Thessaloniki…“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that God has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-7) The early church held great expectations. They expected God to work miracles on their behalf for His glory and the expansion of His Kingdom on earth. They expected much from each other as they built diverse worshipping communities across racial, cultural, and generational barriers. They expected much from themselves as they pursued lives of personal holiness before the Lord. And God added to their number daily those being saved. God used them to conquer an empire not through violence or the exercise of political power but through self-sacrificing love. The men and women of the early church laid down their lives for the sake of the gospel. For the sake of their church family. For the sake of one another and their example has inspired millions through the ages to do the same.
What are your expectations as a Christian? What do you expect from yourself? Are you intentionally growing a deep, intimate relationship with Christ? Are you seeking to faithfully walk in His ways? To live a life of holiness and righteousness before Him? What do you expect from your church family? How are you helping to build her up? How are you helping people get connected with each other? How are you plugging in and serving and giving and helping your local church thrive? What do you expect from God? Does He exist to serve you and your needs or do you exist to serve Him and His Kingdom? God has great expectations for His people. He had made us in His image. Redeemed us through the death of His own Son. And He now sends us out into the world to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Readings for tomorrow: None